Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

SPAIN AND THE UK

How long does it take to get or renew a UK passport from Spain?

What happens when you need to renew your UK passport from Spain? How do you do it and how long does it take?

Published: 1 November 2022 13:29 CET
How long does it take to get or renew a UK passport from Spain?
How to renew your UK passport from Spain. Photo: Ethan Wilkinson / Pexels

It may seem like a daunting task to renew your UK passport from abroad, but actually, it’s a very simple process. If you’re an adult your UK passport will typically be valid for 10 years, after which time you’ll need to renew it. 

The best way to renew your UK passport from Spain is to do it online via the UK government website. Remember that some countries require you to have six months of validity left on your passport to be able to visit, so you’ll want to apply for your renewal at least six months or more before it expires.

You will need to click on this link and then make sure to follow the steps.

The first step will be to answer some simple questions, like where you’re applying from and fill out your date of birth.

READ ALSO: How to apply for or renew your US passport from Spain

Get a digital photograph

You’ll need to go to a photo shop or booth that provides photo codes that can be used in UK passport applications. This may be difficult in Spain so your best option is to take your own digital photo at home with your camera or phone.

If taking your own photo, you’ll be provided with several rules you’ll need to stick to, plus a short video that shows you how. Your photo will go through a basic technical check, so you’ll know right away if it’s accepted or not. You can always upload another one if it’s not.

Fill out your application 

Next, you will need to fill out all your application and personal details, such as the number and place of issue of your old passport and your address. If you’re applying for someone else, such as your child, you can also do it the same way, just fill it out using their details instead.

Gather your documents to send through the post

Thirdly, you’ll have to send some documents through the post. You’ll be told exactly what you need depending on your application, but it will typically be your old passport. Remember that you can’t travel anywhere while your passport is being renewed because you won’t have your old one. If it’s urgent, you will have to get an emergency passport document instead.

Pay your passport fees

A standard passport is £86 for an adult, and £56 for a child. Plus, a £19.86 courier fee. You should be able to pay for this online.

If necessary, get someone to confirm your identity

If some details have changed since your last renewal such as your name, you may have to get someone to confirm your identity, but you will be told online if this is the case for you. They can confirm your identity online without a printed photo.

What if I am applying for my passport for the first time?

If you’re applying for your UK passport from Spain for the first time and not just renewing it then the process is similar.

You’ll still go through the online processes mentioned above, however, you may need a passport interview. Don’t worry though, you don’t need to return to the UK for this, it will be an online video interview, where you’ll be asked questions to be able to confirm your identity.  

How long does it take?

According to the UK authorities, the current passport processing time to renew your passport is around four weeks, but this does change depending on the time of year. For example, if you’re applying before a busy travel period, such as just before the summer or just before the Christmas holidays, it’s likely that your application will take a bit longer because of the sheer number of other passport renewal applications.

If you are applying for the first time, it may also take slightly longer, depending on when you and the authorities have time for your passport interview. You will be told if you need an interview and will have to phone up to make an appointment, so the quicker you make the call, the quicker you will be assigned a day.

What if it’s taking too long, how can I track my application?

You will be able to track your application online with a code that you’ll be given when you apply. You will also get updates by email or text messages so you know where your passport is in the process and how much longer it’s likely to take.

You will also be able to check if something is holding your application up and if you need to send any more documents.

Member comments

  1. Are there any other USA citizens having trouble getting a long-stay visa to spend 4+ months in Spain? We have been calling, writing, everything trying to reach the Spanish consulate in our US city, with zero response. Help!

  2. You know that there are a lot of other nationalities that read the local.es as well right? 🙂 not only british people

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The government is working on the assumption that the system will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

SHOW COMMENTS